The research objectives of Drug Delivery and Disposition are focused on enhancing drug bioavailability of dosage forms for extravascular administration using pharmaceutical-technological approaches (new drug formulations and process technology) as well as biopharmaceutical strategies (based on knowledge of mechanisms underlying drug absorption and hepatobiliary disposition). Significant contributions have been made in the understanding of the physicochemical principles behind formulation strategies for poorly soluble drugs like amorphous solid dispersions, nanoparticles, and mesoporous drug loaded silica. The Laboratory innovates in the development of preclinical models for ADMETox profiling; these model systems include in situ intestinal perfusion in mice (enabling the use of KO and humanized mice in intestinal absorption studies) and hepatocyte-based prediction of drug-induced cholestasis.

Drug Delivery and Disposition has a strong track record in the biorelevant profiling of intestinal drug absorption, covering all underlying processes including dissolution, precipitation, degradation and permeation. For this purpose, a wide range of simulation models is available, including the in vitro Caco-2 cell culture system, the Ussing chamber system and the in situ intestinal perfusion system. In addition, Drug Delivery and Disposition is able and licensed to perform whole animal absorption and pharmacokinetic experiments. Physiology-based pharmacokinetic modelling (Simcyp® Simulator) is available to extrapolate experimental data to human pharmacokinetics. One of the major targets involves the biorelevant and predictive evaluation of absorption-enabling strategies, including solubilization and supersaturation of poorly soluble drugs. In this respect, Drug Delivery and Disposition has elaborated a ground-breaking approach for evaluating intraluminal drug and formulation behavior in humans, involving the aspiration and characterization of gastrointestinal fluids. All absorption studies are supported by well-developed analytical equipment (LC-UV, -fluo, -MS/MS) to assess concentrations of drugs, excipients and endogenous compounds in biological matrices.

In the field of hepatobiliary drug disposition and drug-drug interaction assessment, drug delivery and disposition has implemented the
full spectrum of non-clinical model systems of the liver
including: rat/human liver microsomes, rat/human hepatocytes in suspension, sandwich-cultured hepatocytes, cell lines transfected with hepatic drug transporters, isolated perfused rat liver and in vivo. Isolation and
cryopreservation
of
plateablerodent hepatocytes
and preparation of
liver subcellular fractions
is performed in-house. The research group has characterized several
fluorescent transporter probes
for evaluation and live imaging (by confocal microscopy) of drug transport processes in hepatocytes. Drug
clearance prediction in special populations
(e.g. pediatric),
transporter-based pharmacokinetic boosting
and liver
unbound concentration assessment
form major research objectives. The group has also developed and validated a holistic, hepatocyte-based
in vitro model for identification of drug candidates showing risk for drug-induced cholestasis
. The model has been mechanistically validated by
bile acid profiling
in sandwich-cultured hepatocytes. Computational expertise includes in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) algorithms for clearance prediction (SimCYP, R), compartmental and non-compartmental pharmacokinetic data analysis, as well as population pharmacokinetic analysis (NONMEM) of clinical exposure data. The group has taken the lead in generation of large in vitro transporter inhibition data sets leading to
in silico models for structure-based prediction of transporter inhibition
.
Bioanalytical activities
include LC-UV/FLUO/MSMS for preclinical and clinical samples.

Does it ever feel like finding the right information for that research project is like searching for the legendary
Pot of Gold?

Pot of Gold?

You're not alone. Everyone is surprised at first by the overwhelming resources available in a modern academic library. But take heart! The 6 modules in the Pot of Gold information literacy tutorial are designed to help you discover and develop the information literacies that will support your learning throughout your college years and beyond. And as you leave Notre Dame, you'll discover that information literacy is a crucial skill in both your personal and professional life. The ability to discover and assess information is a treasure that will serve you for a lifetime, so start your quest for the information Pot of Gold today!

Completing the Pot of Gold Tutorial and successfully passing the Pot of Gold Quiz are the first steps in earning the Library Research and Information Literacy Badge.

Analyzing information sources for strengths and weaknesses is a critical skill of information literacy that is important for academic work at Notre Dame and in future employment. The Badge recognizes students who have demonstrated their skill at finding and evaluating information in a wide variety of formats from scholarly and non-scholarly sources. Using resources offered by the Hesburgh Libraries, students earning this badge will develop critical information literacy and library research skills as they pursue a unique research question.

Planning Your Legacy

The legal term
probate
is generally defined as "the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person” — and usually not something you want your loved ones to go through after you’re gone. Here are some steps to take to help streamline (or possibly even avoid) a lengthy and often costly
probate process
.

The goal of probate is to determine who should get the property, assets or inheritance a deceased person has left behind, and usually involves:

One question a lot of people ask is, “What’s the maximum size an estate can be to avoid probate?” While the laws on how much the estate can be worth vary by state, if your estate is relatively small you may not have to worry about going through probate.

That’s because most states have streamlined probate for smaller or uncomplicated estates —
with or without a will
. In these cases, settling the estate can be a quick and relatively painless experience. There are two basic kinds of probate shortcuts for small estates:

If the total value of all the assets (except real estate) left behind is less than a certain amount, the estate's inheritors may be able to skip probate entirely. The exact amount depends on state law, which varies considerably.

If the estate qualifies, an inheritor can prepare a short document stating that he or she is entitled to a certain item of property under a will or state law. This paper, signed under oath, is called an affidavit. When the person or institution holding the property (such as a bank where the deceased had an account) receives the affidavit and a copy of the death certificate, it releases the money or other property.

Another option for small estates is a quicker, simpler version of probate. The probate court is still involved, but it exerts far less control over the
settling of the estate
. In many states, these procedures are straightforward enough to handle without a lawyer, so they save money as well as time.

Keep in mind that each state defines the term “small estate” differently. Because of the way the laws are written, however, many large estates, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars are eligible for special transfer procedures that speed property to inheritors.